Reviews by bejahu

I tried it on two different occasions. My unfortunate conclusion: Creed Viking is interesting as a niche fragrance, but it does not smell good.

The fragrance opens with a disagreeable and discordant clash of mint, bergamot and pepper. I was surprised by how inharmoniously the top notes collide with one another to create a confusing melange that assaults the olfactory senses. Fortunately, this disappointment of an opening fades away to a neutral smelling aquatic/woody bass that has decent longevity, but dismal projection.

The dry down is ok, but that dreadful opening is a deal breaker for me. I could never imagine myself wanting to smell like that.

This fragrance is a low quality, soapy mess, and is unworthy of the high price tag. Synthetic amber, heliotrope and tonka, I can't ever imagine myself wearing this. Very disappointing. The cap makes the bottle look like something terrible from a 1970's Avon catalogue. I cannot recommend this.

An excellent flanker of the often difficult to wear Encre Noire. The inky, rooty-vetiver DNA is still there, but it is tamer and much easier to wear than the original. I don't find myself often reaching for Encre Noire; well maybe when I'm in a tuxedo or going to a gala, but that is pretty much it. It is just too formal a scent for me, however, Encre Noire Sport is a different story. It is flexible and very wearable. And it smells great. Lalique did a great job with this one. The fact a fragrance of this high quality can be had for less than $30 US, is amazing to me. I am very happy to heartily recommend this fragrance.

Very interesting and provocative fragrance. Mint, Patchouli and White Musk, that is pretty much it. The mint/patchouli combination gives the illusion that there is lavender in this fragrance, but I don't think that there is any lavender at all. I love this stuff; especially on a wet, damp, or rainy day. Profumum Roma has found away to give us something fresh, without being lightweight or aquatic. Some folks smell mushrooms, but I don't get that scent whatsoever: just mint, patchouli and musk. The fragrance, like most of Profumum Roma's products stays fairly linear. The mint lasts a remarkably long time. This isn't a toothpaste kind of mint, but instead a fresh, bright, green mint that blends with the wet, earthy patchouli. The combination is very hard to describe. I've never smelled anything like this before. It is absolutely unique, and I like it... very much.

Performance is excellent. I get 6-8 hours on my skin. After about two hours or so, the mint disappears, and you are left with a very nice patchouli and white musk dry down.

This is definitely a try before you buy fragrance, but once I tried it, I had to buy it. Love this stuff.

Fresh, green, clean, soapy and excellent fragrance. I love vetivers, and this fragrance is the perfect choice for someone just getting interested in the note. Similarities to Mugler Cologne are well-founded, at least for the first ten minutes when they are nearly identical. The difference becomes apparent in the dry down. Mugler Cologne has a plastic smell that I find off-putting, and it only lasts about half an hour on my skin. Original vetiver stays deep and as the citrus dries down, the vetiver becomes more pronounced; moreover, the longevity is a good five hours. I find it superior in every way (except for price) to Mugler Cologne.

This fragrance works in just about any situation from formal wear to a linen shirt and shorts. It is especially delightful in the spring and summer.

A salty, synthetic aquatic with the Millesime ambergris base that smells cheap and generic and doesn't last more than half an hour on my skin. There are so many superior aquatics on the market that smell better, last longer, and cost substantially less. At Creed's price point, this fragrance is a tremendous disappointment.

If you are looking for a vetiver-dominant fragrance, look elsewhere. This is an aquatic green fragrance with a strong synthetic vibe. It doesn't smell particularly good nor does it last long. I, for the life of me, cannot detect any vetiver in it whatsoever. This one is a definite pass for me.

This one of the best smelling, light vetivers that I have encountered. The blending and balance are wonderful. So, why the neutral rating? The projection and silage are practically nonexistent. This is a skin scent. If it lasted, then that would be fine and I would have given it a thumbs up, but at nearly $400 for 50ml, the miserable longevity is completely unacceptable. This stuff cannot be a true extrait. It behaves as if it were an EdC. The longevity is about an hour on my skin (when I'm lucky) and two on clothing. I cannot believe people are getting half a day out of this. I was worried that I got a fake, so I went to Sachs to confirm my findings. Sure enough, the longevity was terrible. Such a shame. This would have easily been my favorite vetiver fragrance. Actually, I guess it "is" my favorite, but it isn't worth anywhere near the asking price, given its miserably poor longevity. People compare this to Grey Vetiver, but Vetiver Exrait smells much better. Grey Vetiver is loaded with iso-e-super and has this synthetic vibe that doesn't exist with Vetiver Extrait. GV smells good, but VE smells much more sophisticated. The Roja Vetiver is closer to vintage Guerlain than Tom Ford's offering.

This excellent fragrance opens with an almost shocking blast of raw, bitter, green, iodine-infused vetiver. Santa Maria Novella Vetiver is strong and pungent and it lasts all day long: uncharacteristic for an EdC. The fragrance is beautifully done, with an old fashioned, bone-dry, mossy and powdery dry down that seems to be the standard backbone for Santa Maria Novella. I can see how some might find it perfumey due to the rosewood and powder in the base, but to my nose it has more of an old school barbershop feel than anything else. I very much enjoy it; especially on a hot summer day, but it has the heft to be worn all year long. If you like raw vetivers, barbershop fragrances, and green mossy scents, this one could definitely be for you. But, you have to like vetiver - seriously. This one is not easy-wearing by any stretch of the imagination: the polar opposite of citrus-laden, polite and easy-wearing vetivers like Creed's, Tom Ford's or Roja Dove's. In contrast, Santa Maria Novella is powerful, dry as a bone, strong, and old school. The opening is nostril-searing. A definite must try for true vetiver fans.

Mary Celestia is a unisex EdT strength fragrance from Lili Bermuda. It smells very good, and the story regarding its background and the salvaged perfume from the shipwreck is interesting too.

It opens with juicy grapefruit and bright orange blossoms/neroli. The graprefuit fades after a while, but the neroli remains in a subdued form for pretty much the length of the fragrance. The website says that there is rose in the base, but I don't smell much rose. What I do smell is rosewood, which I very much enjoy. There is some amber in the base, but to my nose this is a primarily a citrus, neroli, and rosewood fragrance. The rosewood is very nice in this one.

Longevity is good for a Lili Bermuda fragrance. I get four hours on my skin and slightly longer on clothing. Like all of the other Lili Bermuda scents that I own, this one stays fairly close to the skin, with modest and polite projection and silage. Also, like the other Lili Bermuda fragrances that I have tested, this fragrance is a great choice for warm weather, and goes as well with jeans and a T-shirt as it does with a suit and tie.

This fragrance is much more expensive than the rest of Lili Bermuda's offerings, so I recommend that you try it before you buy it. I love it and bought a backup bottle straightaway, but everyone's nose is different. For some reason, I don't think that Lili Bermuda sells samples, so getting your nose on this fragrance might be a challenge.

Great smelling, fresh vetiver fragrance. Along the lines of Creed's Original Vetiver, but brighter and, although still soapy, less soapy than Creed's offering. Vetiver Hombre wears very close to the skin. The dry down is amazing, but there is little projection or silage. It is a very good fragrance for work. The only downside that I see is the longevity. In cooler weather, I get about half an hour of projection and then 2-3 hours of an amazing skin scent. In hot, tropical weather, the fragrance completely disappeared after an hour or so. At less than $30 a bottle though, you can afford to respray as often as you feel that you need to do so. Even with the poor longevity, I have to give this one a thumbs up.

A lemon-lover's delight. Acqua Viva opens with a incredibly authentic blast of fresh, tart and juicy lemon. Nothing synthetic-smelling about this one, it is fresh and delicious. The longevity is impressive, especially for a citrus-based fragrance. I'm getting 8-10 hours on my skin with this one, although in the final two hours it is more about the cedar than the fresh and bright lemon scent that dominates the rest of the dry down.

I love this stuff. I've been looking for a long-lasting citrus scent for a while now, and am delighted to have found Acqua Viva. If you enjoy the smell of real, fresh cut lemons, then this fragrance is definitely for you. The outstanding longevity is a bonus.

Spanish Ceder is the first men's EdP strength fragrance from Czech & Speake. The fragrance opens with a delicious, although fleeting, fruity blast of bergamot, blackberry, with a hint of cloves. The opening is almost juicy, like a candied orange or tangerine and I just couldn't help sniffing my wrist upon first spraying it. After five minutes or so, the fruit starts to dissipate, and Spanish Cedar beings to settle into its resinous, warm and creamy heart of Galbanum, Cedarwood and Sandalwood - and there it remains... for hours and hours. It has superb longevity, and a pleasant, reasonable silage that makes Spanish Cedar an excellent choice for the office or business meetings; although, now that I am wearing it I am imagining myself in a log cabin by a lake somewhere in the mountains of New Hampshire or Vermont.

It was a hot day today, and this fragrance wore very well, but I expect that Spanish Cedar will really shine come wintertime, which is when I am most likely to wear it. This fragrance will appeal to fans of the combination of Cedar and Sandalwood. It is woody, resinous, very masculine, mature, and brings to mind the aroma of a exceptionally well-crafted cigar humidor.

One of the most flexible and reliable masculine fragrances on the market. It works in almost any situation from jeans and a T-shirt to a suit and tie. Bleu smells great, lasts a long time, projects well, and gets compliments. It has a bracing and fresh grapefruit opening that warms into a confident and very pleasing woody dry down. This one is a winner. Highly recommended for the individual that is looking for a high quality, do-it-all fragrance.

An extremely rich. complex, and interesting fragrance. The initial twenty seconds smell like candied oranges. Then a very interesting and realistic ripe banana scent appears. The banana is supported by a warm, powdery amber and a luscious, creamy vanilla. This fruity, syrupy combination skillfully avoids being too sweet or cloying due to a nerve of iron or some other metallic note that holds the fragrance together. There is also a hint of civet or some other musk that gives the fragrance the decadence that many here in Basenotes have reported.

This is a mature gentleman's fragrance, and it is a very good one. Although the amber is a little powdery, Acier Aluminum is decidedly masculine. Sure, in this day and age of watery aquatics, this scent is a little dated, but WHO CARES! It is warm, and decadent, and.. it smells like BANANAS!

The longevity is impressive for a Creed EdT, I'm getting four to six hours. The silage is moderate, but quickly stays close to the skin: perfect for a romantic winter evening.

I like this one, and recommend it to anyone that is looking for a warm, interesting, and mature fragrance for a romantic evening with someone special.

This may be the best pine scent that I've ever encountered. The scent stays close to the skin and the longevity is respectable considering it is an EdT. The scent has a dominant cardamon note that is augmented beautifully by lush, spicy, and rich cloves. This scent is reminiscent of a calm, cold, clear night after a snow storm. Icicles are clinging to the trees, the cold, crisp air is bracing against your face. The scent of pine needles permeates the air.

This fragrance was a very pleasant surprise for me. I can't stress enough how high quality and authentic is the pine note. Outstanding.

An high-quality, very mature, smooth, creamy vetiver. The scent projects an aura of confidence and elegance. Vetiver (1948) is masculine, refined, and extremely well blended. All the notes work perfectly together - there are no rough edges. The longevity is about 4 hours on skin and much longer on clothing. The beauty of this fragrance is its subtleness and restraint. Its limited projection makes it perfect for an important business meeting.

It is light years away from Creed's Original Vetiver, which, although also excellent, is fresh, citrusy, clean, and very soapy. The soapiness of Vetiver (1948) is of the traditional, barbershop variety.

Vetiver (1948) has a very classic vibe: one that I would associate with a suave and exceptionally well-groomed gentleman. If you can find it, buy it. Two thumbs up.

Fresh cut grass and fresh cut violet leaves. It is green and smells like a freshly cut meadow. Although it is not as refined as GIT, I like Green Valley much better, since it smells more natural. Green Valley is an excellent daytime scent for the spring, summer, and early autumn. I recommend it to anyone that is looking for a quality, brighter alternative to GIT.

Comparisons to Fahrenheit are, to my nose at least, not well-founded. Although both fragrances have a strong violet presence, Fahrenheit is dark and tarry, while Green Valley is bright and green.

An excellent Montale fragrance. Understated, bright clean opening of citrus and medicinal aoud, that quickly blossoms into an airy and very beautiful dusty rose and aoud combination that smells a lot like Band-Aids. I really enjoy it. Be careful when you spray it, the opening is deceptively quiet for a Montale. It takes about five minutes to develop, and when it does it is very powerful with strong silage and tremendous longevity. I get 12-15 hours with this one, and much much longer if it gets on my clothing. Two sprays are enough for most situations.

The dry down is a beautiful soft, dusty rose and medicinal aoud. This one is the most medicinal smelling of any Montale fragrance that I have owned. It really does smell like Band Aids for the first two or three hours. The aoud dies down a bit after five or six hours and you are left with a gorgeous, soft rose.

Comparisons to Montale's Taj are not well-founded. While both are powerful and have a strong Aoud presence, Taj is dark, heavy, and dirty, and smells of ground tobacco leaves and leather, while Royal Aoud is bright, happy, and clean and smells of bandaids and roses. I love them both.

Unlike Taj, Royal Aoud is definitely unisex, and the rose is light and airy - not dark, heavy or dense like the rose in Black Aoud, for example. I'd say, within the Montale line of Aouds, Royal Aoud is the polar opposite of Black Aoud. Quiet, understated, and lovely opening. Light and bright. Soft, dusty rose dry down. As opposed to Black Aoud, which has a raw and forceful opening, deep and dark rose heart, and is deep and mysterious as it dries down. Both smell great. Both are sexy. Both project like crazy and last over a half a day.

I highly recommend this one. If you don't like dusty rose or you don't like aoud, then this one isn't for you. But, if you are looking on a fresh, happy, clean take on an aoud and rose based fragrance, then this one is will be a very welcome addition to your wardrobe.

The synthetic fruity pineapple opening is interesting, but unfortunately the combination of smoky birch and patchouli in the heart of the fragrance doesn't work for me at all. Comments that Aventus smells like freshly minted money are not too far off the mark. It is woody and inky, and although many people here like, it does not smell good on me. I had high hopes for this one. At $285 for a 4 oz. bottle, is not a safe blind buy. This fragrance gets a lot of hype, so please try before you buy.

What a wonderful winter fragrance. Opium PH EDP is a creamy, vanilla and anise powerhouse. It is warm, exotic, and mysterious: the perfect accompaniment for a cold winter night with your special someone.

The fragrance is rich and absolutely beautiful. I consider it to be THE reference example for a "men's spicy oriental." The longevity and projection are among the best I have ever experienced, easily on par with the similarly exceptional and massive Chanel Egoiste Cologne Concentree. I get an easy 12-15 hours on my skin and days on my clothing.

Opium PH EDP is potent. It is a little sweet, so be careful not to over-apply it as it can easily become cloying and headache inducing if you overdo it. Two sprays are more than sufficient. Three if you will be outside. If you spray judiciously, you will be enveloped by a warm, spicy, intoxicating cocoon of spiced vanilla that will last the entire day.

This fragrance is a true masterpiece and a must for anyone looking for an exceptional men's spicy oriental.

Superbly beautiful men's fragrance. Opens with a strong blast of astringent, medicinal aoud which is quickly joined by the dark, luscious smell of freshly mashed up tobacco leaves. The tobacco note is exceptional. The intoxicating aoud and tobacco cocktail lingers for several hours at which point it is joined by a deep, masculine animalic musk, warm woods and incense. The fragrance has tremendous projection and, similar to many other Montale aoud-based fragrances, tenacious longevity. I get an easy twelve hours on my skin and several days on my clothing. Warning: be careful of spraying it on light-colored clothing, since the juice is a deep amber color and will likely leave a stain.

This fragrance, although gorgeous, is likely not for everyone. You need to really like both aoud and tobacco to like this fragrance, since these are the dominant notes, last a long time, and project strongly. But, if, like me, you do like aoud and tobacco, you will be hard pressed to find a better, more beautifully crafted combination of the two.

Excellent fragrance. I can understand why so many people comparison Red Vetyver to Terre d'Hermes. For the first few minutes or so they are similar. After that, however, the similarities cease. Red Vetyver is brighter, sweeter, and dryer than Terre d'Hermes (which is greener, grittier, and deeper). Red Vetyver has (not surprisingly) a dominant vetiver note, while Terre d'Hermes has a dominant cedar one.

The longevity and projection of Red Vetyver are outstanding: I'm getting 12-16 hours on my skin. The smell is fresh, bright, and clean. This is a very flexible scent that can be worn all year around. It goes just as well with jeans and a t-shirt as it does with a business suit.

Wonderful fragrance. Miserable projection and longevity: less than two hours on my skin.

The opening is gorgeous. Plums and candied oranges dipped in Cognac and rich honey. This perfume is so fabulous: one of the most excellent, boozy gourmands on the market. It is such a shame that it wears so close to the skin and the longevity is so poor.

I'd love to give this a thumbs up, and I almost did, but for the anemic projection and dismal longevity. Your skin will likely react differently than mine, so Frapin 1270 is definitely worth sampling.

Very well done amber and powder scent with legendary longevity (15-18 hours). The amber smells excellent, however, unfortunately for me, the fragrance is marred by a strong baby powders smell that, sadly, puts me off. If you like baby powder and amber, then this fragrance is an excellent choice. If you don't like baby powder, then this one definitely isn't for you. Please sample before you buy.

I have given this one several test runs. My sad conclusion is that this is an unwearable fragrance for me. It opens with the overwhelming barnyard smell of dried animal urine. Yes, I know this is a musk, but the strong urine-like smell is too extreme, too strong, and it last far too long.

My apologies to the fans of this fragrance, and to Mr. Lutens, but this fragrance is repugnant to me. I cannot fathom a situation where I would want to smell so distasteful.

Please do not blind buy this. Try before you buy. It is expensive, and, unfortunately on my skin, it is disgusting.

Superb men's fragrance - one of my absolute favorites. The opening is boozy, thick and fruity with a strong backbone of chocolate. The fruit lingers for about two hours, then it melts into the gorgeous A*men dry down of creamy chocolate, and delicious caramel. There is a reason why this fragrance gets so much attention: it smells THAT good. Longevity is 8-10 hours and projection are perfect - enough to get noticed but not so strong as to be offensive. Recommended in the strongest terms.

A masterpiece. The quintessential male fragrance. Strong, confident, masculine, and powerful. The difference between the EDT and this is like the difference between drinking a complex lager beer (the EDT) and a rich, thick, chewy porter or stout. Egoiste Concentree is rich and dense and oily and... strong. It is a burly beast when you first spray it. The tangerine is sharp and strong: boozy, almost. After five minutes or so the fragrance settles down and the deep, wonderful brazilian rosewood takes over. The damask rose is prevalent throughout. It is a not a "pretty" or "delicate" rose: it is a very dirty one that has an almost chewy and jammy texture. The rose is very masculine and it works excellently with the tangerine and woody rosewood. Also, there is a subtle animalic presence lurking underneath. This stuff is bold, and powerful and unequivocally the diametric opposite of the lightweight, playful aquatic concoctions that have flooded the market recently.

The sillage and longevity are incredible; legendary, perhaps. It is rich and dense and needs to be sprayed with restraint. You WILL be noticed. And you WILL get a headache if you over spray it. If applied with discretion, however, the juice is heavenly. I'll go out on a limb as say that Egoiste Cologne Concentree is THE best winter masculine fragrance ever created. I cannot fathom ever wearing this in the summer. It is just too massive and dense.

If you like the EDT, I you will love this. I strongly recommend it. In fact, I cannot recommend it strongly enough. There is a reason why it is so highly sought after. When you wear Egoiste Cologne Concentree you project confidence, power, and gravitas. Absolutely marvelous. If you can find it, buy it immediately, because it will probably not be on the shelf the next day if you walk away.

Very enjoyable men's fragrance. Light, fun, refreshing, and long-lasting. I'm getting 5-6 hours. Moderate sillage. I'm going to be keeping a bottle of this in my gym bag. Very inexpensive and a fantastic value.

This would be an excellent choice for spring and summer. Highly recommended.

Very nice smelling fragrance for the fall and perhaps winter, but it lacks longevity and projection. Unfortunately, my skin drinks this stuff up and the scent completely disappears after half an hour. Such a shame.